Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXX, Public Diplomacy

167. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron) to the Director of the International Communication Agency (Reinhardt)¹

Washington, March 14, 1979

SUBJECT

• Cultural Activities with China (U)

Given your own personal interest in our cultural activities with the People’s Republic of China and your administrative responsibility for these activities (particularly to implement the recently concluded Cultural Exchange Agreement with the PRC),² we would appreciate receiving from you proposals for U.S. Government-sponsored cultural activities with the PRC. (C)

These proposals should be contained in a plan for developing our cultural relations broadly defined with the PRC. This plan should involve the activities not only of ICA but other pertinent agencies as well, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Smithsonian Institute, the Library of Congress, and the Office of Education. (C)

The plan should include:

—Consideration of the advisability of inviting a delegation of cultural affairs officials from the PRC, to be headed by Minister of Culture Huang Chen, for the purpose of reaching some specific agreements in the Cultural Exchange realm. (C)

—A listing of related activities which ICA believes its office in Beijing might conduct to enhance the activities of the Agreement. (C)

—As a result of inter-agency coordination, a listing of projects which other agencies in the government are prepared to undertake. (C)

Preparation of this report should be coordinated with OMB so that the budgetary implications of your proposals are understood. This report should also be coordinated with State for an assessment of its political feasibility. (C)

Please provide this report by April 1.³ (U)

David Aaron

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Agency File, Box 9, International Communication Agency: 1–5/79. Confidential.
2. See footnote 2, Document 166.
3. There is no indication that Reinhardt prepared such a report. On May 2, an interagency ad hoc group met to discuss the cultural agreement. According to the summary of conclusions, ICA was to develop an inventory of exchange programs, a plan for soliciting private involvement, and proposals for funding the Huang Chen delegation’s proposed visit to the United States “within a month.” The summary is printed in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. XIII, China, Document 240. In advance of his scheduled August trip to China, Mondale sent Carter a memorandum on July 11, in which he indicated that various U.S. agencies were “preparing proposals for an expanded cultural relationship.” Mondale also commented that Reinhardt had been invited to China “to present our proposals.” Mondale’s memorandum is printed in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. XIII, China, Document 254.